Sudbury city councillor denies he broke campaign rules

Greater Sudbury Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc said Thursday he is 'absolutely' confident he will be exonerated in connection with allegations he violated campaign rules during last fall’s municipal election. (File)

Greater Sudbury Ward 11 Coun. Bill Leduc said Thursday he is “absolutely” confident he will be exonerated of allegations he violated campaign rules during last fall’s municipal election.

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Anastasia Rioux, a resident of Leduc’s ward, requested a compliance audit of Leduc’s campaign expenses in a letter to the city’s election compliance committee.

In a letter dated April 4, Rioux said Leduc used a ‘Westmount Grandparents Day’ event in September 2022 to “shore up support and violate city election guidelines.”

“Leduc’s poster that comes straight from his own personal Facebook page indicates that city services like ambulances and police cars would be on hand,” Rioux wrote.

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But Leduc, who said Thursday he has filed his response to the committee, said the grandparents day event had been held for years.

“It was not a campaign event,” he said, adding other Ward 11 candidates were also there handing out literature.

Leduc said the Minnow Lake Community Action Network (CAN) applies for money for the event each year, using ward funds set aside for each area of the city.

“It was not held on city property,” he said, adding the event was open to the public and to other ward candidates.

Leduc said it’s a “waste of his time” to have to respond to the accusations, but the committee has to look into every complaint, regardless of merit.

“I’m disappointed I have to defend myself April 27,” he said.

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Leduc said he hopes the complaint doesn’t put a “black cloud” over the next grandparents day event in September. And he invited anyone who attended last September to attend the committee meeting hearing at Tom Davies Square.